The Grand Weave

I created another scroll, and this time, Eodyne snatched it mid-fall. This one had the word 'NO' in big red letters. The scroll disappeared as she nodded at Celanae.

Oh right. Of course, Celanae would want to study the scrolls later.

"Cyrus, have you seen Panasia? She's the only one left," Teddy asked.

Another scroll dropped, a repeat of the last. Teddy frowned.

"Are you sure you want to transport us? We can help," Celanae said.

It was tempting. Celanae and Teddy's fight reminded me just how powerful they were. It was hard to take measure, but Broken Tower had a reputation. They stood as peak adventurers, prodigies who have grown faster than most given the relatively short time adventuring.

Xena tapped my cheek.

This time, I created the scroll within a heartbeat. I recognized the patterns as Xena weaved the mana, and I guided the thread. I could feel her surprise, but I pushed it away and watched their reactions to the latest scroll.

It disappeared into Celanae's storage, and they moved to stand next to the guard trio. Aleena looked rough, but she stayed stoic at the news.

Orlun saluted the ceiling, and I groaned, but they huddled together, and one by one, Xena transported them out.

"Last one. Are we ready?"

"Yes. Should be easiest. Tier three have specific signatures in their aura. Constantly disrupting the dungeon mana," Xena said with a hint of vitriol.

I pulled us away from the room, and Xena moved us around. This time, I could almost envision the dungeon space as she brought us downward.

Up wasn't always up, and down wasn't always down. When Xena moved us to the left, we'd sometimes move upwards into a new floor or pocket of rooms.

"Is it always like this? Aren't dungeons physically there?"

Anger flared, but Xena kept the search while she raged internally.

"No, not always," she growled. "Older dungeons dimensionally expand—some more than others—while the younger dungeons prefer physical expansion. But this? The asshole has ruined our dungeon! It's fractured! Broken!"

She locked on to Panasia's signature. We dived in, moving down while actually shifting toward the northwest. Mana pushed back as the room came into view, a sharp sting against my brain.

"Aaah."

"Tier three fight in a tier two space. I'll numb the sense, push us in."

I did, and mayhem exploded across my vision. I could barely keep up. Panasia zipped across the room like a whirlwind and battered the Mindeater's barriers. When one shattered, she shot forward like a bullet and punched.

A tornado drilled into the forcefield, glowing bright red as the mana collided. Punches, kicks, headbutts—she was the wind itself, her form blurring from physical to elemental.

She wasn't alone against the mindeater in front of her. To the sides of the room, shredded meat and gallons of blood coated the far walls and floor, the remains of several monsters the same size as the ones Teddy and Celanae fought.

And a top one mound, another mind eater clutched a bony limb as his legs whipped around. Each thrust of Panasia's leg sent black blades that burst apart against its defenses.

She fought two on one and pushed them back. But as I watched the fight, I noticed blood seep from her nose and a large gash along her side. The wind instantly tore it away, hiding the injury.

"Is there any way we can help her?"

"Distractions."

I wracked my brain and watched Panasia stutter mid-kick. She gritted her teeth and sank. The mind eaters attacked as a giant tentacle pulled her down while blood streamed out of her eyes.

Fuck.

I gave the mental instructions and began to guide the pattern. Xena stepped in and converted the energy, letting me complete the creation process. As the main mind eater extended his arm, a glass vial smacked against his skull.

It shattered and spilled water down his front.

It wasn't an attack, but it was all Panasia needed as black blades of compressed air shredded the tentacle. She rushed forward and punched through a glowing barrier before kicking out. Her foot came to a stop inches away from the downed mind eater's face.

But she grinned, and the mind eater exploded. Its entire upper torso became giblets that coated the ground.

She dashed away before the remaining mind eater slammed her into the wall.

No, you don't.

Vial after vial pelted the back of its head. Each one shattering and coating him in water. After the fifth one, the vial froze midair and was flung aside.

Xena gave me the next idea, and soon, the vials started to appear in different spots: some above its shoulder, others on top of its head, and two that managed to roll against its feet.

As the harmless assault continued, it failed to activate its skill, and Panasia removed its head with a well-placed kick. She caught it and sank blade-like fangs into its skull before tearing off chunks of brain matter.

She dropped to the ground and placed her palm against the mind eater's body. Mana gathered and shredded the corpse.

Blood continued to drip off her chin, and she spat to the side while staring at one of the vials that survived. She nudged it with her foot and shattered it with ease.

Water seeped out, and she snorted.

"Whoever or whatever did this, thank you. But maybe choose something other than water. Acid works best."

A scroll appeared, and she read it before tossing it aside.

"Fine. Thank you. But I had it handled. It was only a matter of time before I squashed the bastard."

"Typical tier three. Unappreciative of the dungeon."

"Health potion time. You ready?"

"Hmmph."

The health potion plopped to the ground, and I caught her ripping the cork off before the mental strain severed the connection.

I rolled over and brought Chomperz and Xena to my chest. We spent time recovering in silence. Chomperz nibbled on my fingers as I released him. He hovered in the air, but I caught the jerkiness of his wings.

"You're not recovered yet, are you?"

He ignored me and turned toward the node.

"I'm serious. Is this hurting you?"

Eventually, he shook his head and pointed to the miniature obelisk.

"Fine, but we'll discuss this later. If I need to stop using your skill, I will. I'm sure Teddy and the others can find a cheap storage ring."

"Enough prattling. Connect. We're almost done."

I shifted the fairy to my shoulder and waited for Chomperz to assume the position. When I sent energy toward the node, it pulled me in. Without direction from Xena or me, the temple room came into view.

Panasia strode around the room, ripped off monster heads, and lobbed them at the wall. They splatted and burst into chunks as a wind blade minced the flesh.

I was about to summon another scroll, but the temple shook. The room vibrated from all angles, and I had to pull away.

That was a mistake.

If one room with a dozen screens was bad, the entire dungeon twisting around caused cognitive overload.

"Focus! It's finally awake!"

I struggled to watch, but the dungeon began to fold and bend. The outer hallways collapsed, pulling in the connected room.

Chomperz tried to help, but his head slump against my neck. Xena screamed, and I joined her.

The destruction of the rooms felt like a puzzle box being pushed together. Like punches to the gut. The hallways burned my veins and stabbed my brainmatter.

Through teary eyes, a room came into existence near the center. It connected to Panasia's room, anchoring itself like a parasite.

Mana pulsed and stretched, a single thread thicker than my arm hurled through the void and punctured my chest. I screamed and tried to pull away, but the thread wound around my shoulder and pulled me against the node.

"You who has resisted. Usurper. Fool. Give in, be CONSUMED!"

The chains carved my skin and pressed against my throat. Compulsion, control. It bent me to its will and sucked the breath out of my lungs. The hooks dug in deep and scraped my mind, worming its way to the center. Weak! Pathetic! GIVE IN! The chains pulled taut and tore my soul apart.

A crimson symbol shined like the sun and burned the chains away. The energy purged me of its filth, and I grasped the hooks and ripped them free. The energy forced my soul together, and chime bells tolled.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

I tore from the memory and hurled. Nothing came out, but I continued to dryheave until something tugged my ear. I glared at Xena, but she extended her hand to the node. She closed her eyes; the fury on her face shined underneath her skin like lava. The obsidian crown floating above her head grew spikes. Mana rushed and blanketed us.

Chomperz recovered and raised his head, "Chomp!"

I grasped the node, but I didn't connect. My lungs struggled for air but I steadied myself and forced the mana to comply.

When the mental image of the dungeon revealed itself, I found more threads floating free. They glided through the void like a wave of tentacles.

"We don't hold back. Use all the mana we have left. Push yourself into the room; I'll guide the form. Do not waver. You shall fight. Fail, and we die. Understand?" Xena commanded.

"Yes. I'm ready."

She didn't reply. Her body burned against my skin as she reinforced the shroud around us. The energy thickened, feeling like the world's warmest blanket. My consciousness began to fade. Like streams, I separated and flowed into the node.

Panasia huddled in a corner. Her hand tore a chunk from the wall, and she used it as a brace.

"Starting!"

Reality became two and split into three. Three threads turned into four, and my thoughts slipped away.

Chomp!

I snapped together and banished the mindfog. The threads shuddered as I directed them toward myself, pulling from the ether flowing into the void.

"What are you doing?!"

"Trust me!" I yelled as I jerked the threads closer.

Information trickled through, and instincts guided my hand. Xena roared, and the threads slammed into my chest. They dug through my core, and I sank into my soul space.

The soul wisps were there, my familiars racing toward me. I held out a hand and stopped them, watching their forms flicker. Xena weaved the threads, and all but two wisps remained inside my soul space.

Inside, I regained control, even as it felt like a titan tried to squeeze my soul. Chomperz's skillwisp hovered beside my shoulder, and I grinned as he pulled from the edges. The lifeless skillwisp condensed into a ball of fog that stopped before me.

I extended my arm and guided the threads to break through. They slipped inside, taking the form of kaiju-sized tendrils. As it pushed through the sea of energy that hovered above the lake of mana, my soulspace pulsed.

Energy became fire. An inferno blazed inside my soul.

Agony wracked my body, and the lake slammed against the walls. The tendrils heeded my command and spiraled toward me like a drill.

Now!

I raised the skillwisp and grasped the tendrils with my other hand, it tried to dig into my avatar's skin, but I forced it away.

Chomperz floated forward and added his strength as I pushed the tendrils away.

They slipped past my fingers and touched the edges of the skillwisp. With a thunderous roar, burning red energy consumed the sky, and the skill connected.

My body broke apart, and I let the skill's effect transform my body.